urday

morning. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm erica hill. many of you may be in mourning this morning for the twinkie. or the snowball. or the ding dong or the ho-ho. >> you know, they overlook snowball. >> that was your snack of choice? and? >> and, it's good. it's like sugarized rubber. the point is it was fun. >> you haven't had these recently until this morning? >> not since i was 11. the memory was better. >> i didn't realize this was chocolate on the inside, actually. >> the company that made them is going iowa way. >> it is. a lot of people understandably very upset about that. not sure whether all the twinkie jokes will have to go away as well. i think they can stay. later, there's a lot of hard news to cover this morning, including what's happening in the middle east. rockets are flying between gaza and israel, with israel expa expanding its air assaults targeting gaza's infrastructure. hamas is firing back with new longer range weapons, reaching jerusalem for the first time. we've got reporters standing by

live in tel aviv and gaza. then we'll introduce you to a pretty incredible 9-year-old girl that was left paralyzed by a car accident caused by a drunk driver. she wanted him to understand just how his actions impacted her life. she wrote a very emotional letter that was read at his sentencing. and it's been a year since michelle parker was last seen. she disappeared the same day she appeared on an episode of "the people's court." we'll get an update on where that investigation stands. cheer leading a fun part of many sports in high school, college and pros, but it can be incredibly dangerous as well and that has a lot of parents worried. coming up, the consequences when things go wrong. a bit later, lauren scruggs is going to stop by. it's been nearly a year since she was injured by a spinning propeller. she's doing amazingly well, but it's been a tough road. she'll join us in an exclusive interview. we want to begin this

half-hour with rising tensions in the middle east. we have two reports this morning from martin fletcher in tel aviv and richard engel in gaza. martin, tell us the latest. >> reporter: lester, good morning. there's been an incredible ramping up of violence this morning. the israelis have already had 200 separate air strikes against palestinian targets in gaza. they've changed the kind of targets they're attacking, not just the rocket infrastructure they've seen in the last few days, but attacking hamas sim bols of power. they attacked the prime minister's office this morning, flattened it completely. that's the building where the prime minister met the egyptian foreign minister yesterday. that building now flattened. they also attacked the police headquarters, which is a huge building in the center of gaza. there was a huge blaze there. windows were smashed in buildings nearby. both attacks happened early in the morning, so the israelis at least say nobody was inside the buildings. other buildings were also attacked, police buildings, smuggling tunnels, and the palestinians have said this morning that ten palestinians

were killed in these raids. that brings the number up to at least 40 palestinians killed over the last several days with violence. and at the same time, the palestinians have been firing rockets into israeli, 30 this morning, three soldiers have been said to be lightly injured, but that's the state of play at the moment and it just looks as if it's going to get worse all day. >> martin fletcher, thanks. richard engel is in gaza. at first glance, you feel like we've seen this before. you were there in gaza four years ago. how has the view on the ground changed? how different are the players at how this particular conflict is playing out? >> reporter: we have seen tit for tat violence between the palestinians here in gaza and the israelis before, many times before. but this time it feels very different. hamas officials are talking about it in very different terms becaus it feels very different, hamas officials are talking about it in different terms because of the arab spring, because there are new leaders in tunisia and

in egypt. in tunisia, for the win minister was here in gaza. yesterday the egyptian prime minister here. hamas is a division of the muslim brotherhood. the egyptian president is now from the muslim brotherhood. hamas is counting on this arab solidarity, this new playing field to significantly change the balance of power between the hamas militants who clearly don't have the kind of weapons that israel has, but they think now they will have broader political support, not from just the new arab government but also from the newly empowered arab streets. >> how nervous is this making the united states? given the arab support and the tenuous support from the arab brotherhood, is israel been encouraged to show restraint in this case? >> i think the united states is

asking all parties to show restraint. the president, according to reports, has spoken with the egyptian president, he has spoken to the israelis. it's in israel's interest. it's in egypt's interests, the united states interests to tamp this down. it is not, however, in hamas' interests. hamas' strategy is to inspire the revolutionary spirit that brought down mubarak, that threatens to bring down other leaders pticularly in the gulf states and to use that energy, that rage, and channel it against israel. it is the kind of unpredictable situation that egypt will have a tough time dealing with right now. and it leaves the united states at a difficult position. you remember president obama said in that -- in that interview with telemundo that he wasn't sure if egypt was a steadfast ally anymore. right now when you have egyptian officials coming here and

expressing solidarity with hamas, it's clear why the united states had those doubts. >> richard engel, thank you very much. here is erica. >> lester, thanks. we are learning more today about september's deadly consulate attack. former cia director david petraeus, still reeling from revelations of his affair testified on capitol hill behind closed doors. kristen welker has more. >> reporter: general petraeus snuck in and out of the capitol on friday, but his testimony is still making waves with lawmakers. some say it only raises more questions about the way the administration handled the bengahzi attack. reporters were blocked from petraeus to spare him embarrassment. lawmakers say petraeus testified that cia immediately believed that terrorists were involved in the assault, that is in contrast to what secretary rice said days

after the incident, when she said it was a spontaneous attack. others noted the cia's initial assessment of terrorism was classified and not included in the talking points rice was given. critics of the administration are demanding more answers, while others are defending ambassador rice. >> the original talking points were much more specific about al qaeda involvements. yet the final ones just said indications of extremists. >> i don't think she should be pillaring for this. she did what i would have done or anyone else would have done. >> those who were in the room said petraeus testified that his resignation had nothing to do with the consulate attack, saying it was solely due to the fallout from his admitted extramarital affair. he also apologized for his behavior. >> kristin, thank you. a key figure in the resignation of cia director general petraeus is jill kelley.

kelley's connections reach outside of florida's social circles all the way up to the white house. >> reporter: jill kelley and her sister were twice at a white house luncheon, and with their families toured the white house on november 4th, two days before general james clapper, the director of national intelligence was even told about the petraeus scandal. kelley mentioned the visit in an e-mail to tampa's mayor book buckhorn, a friend. saying ps i was at the white house with my friends in the administration this weekend. the stress was surreal. white house officials say the kelley sisters were invisited by a mid level staffer. kelley was bipartisan in her outreach. she and her sister dropped in on a small fund-raiser by marco rubio two years ago. the kelley sisters did not pay, just arrived, posed for the picture and soon left.

in another message to tampa's mayor last march, kelley wrote she was trying to stop a local shock jock known as bubba the love sponge carrying out his threat to deep fat fry the koran. e-mailing saying i have petraeus and allen both e-mailing me having to get this dealt with. paula broadwell also went to the white house twice for meetings on afghanistan in the public office building. >> i believe paula broadwell was at one white house meeting that i was at. >> reporter: david petraeus before testifying today apologized to congress members for his behavior. >> he was very sorry that this incident occurred, and that anything that occurred with respect to his personal situation had nothing to do with his -- the way he handled bengahzi. >> reporter: in other e-mails released by the city of tampa, jill kelley said her family has been put through the wringer and

his kids are scared and need their homes back. >> john harwood is cnbc's chief washington correspondent. good morning. >> good morning. >> as we look at everything going on in washington and this hearing, two parties, two different takes on that testimony yesterday. is anyone going to be satisfied here? >> i don't think so. i think this is -- what we're seeing in the petraeus scandal and the bengahzi issue being prolonged is an extension of some of the conflict and the bitterness we had during the election campaign. not sure what the resolution of that is going to be. i think ultimately that energy will get spent and lawmakers are going to turn to the real crisis that is looming over the american economy, which is the fiscal cliff and the potential that we could go back into recession if that's not reserved. >> there did seem to be positive sentiment yesterday out of those meetings about the fiscal cliff between the president and congressional leaders. if we're sticking with the positivity theme here, any sense of a timeline here on something

getting done? >> yes. the leaders were -- and i agree with you, that was as positive an aftermath of a meeting as you could have hoped for if you were president obama or anyone in the congress. all four leaders, both parties, came out and spoke encouragingly. they're talking about a two-step process. the first step is to outline a framework for tax changes, spendingchanges, and then in 2013 leader also fill in the framework of that. lawmaker s also hoped not to do it last minute, they usually go to the last day of the break, they are trying to get it resolved sometime fairly soon after thanksgiving. woel see we'll see if they can do it. it's one thing to have a positive meeting, it's another thing to have a framework that both parties can file.

>> is there a sense that the rank in file of both parties will work towards this and get it done before the end of the year? >> it's always difficult to find followership in the congress, but there's a greater sense of possibility than before the election. that's why president obama campaigned on these issues during the last 12 months, to try to get some sense of a verdict from the american people. now you can see he's feeling greater confidence that he's got more leverage, and republicans are a bit chasen by the outcome so boehner and mcconnell have more control over their flocks than they did before the election. >> thank you. let's get a check of the morning's other top stories now. jenna wolfe is standing by. good morning. good morning. the coast guard is searching for two workers who went missing after a fire on an oil rig in the gulf of america. the fire which broke out friday as workers were using a torch to cut an oil line was quickly put

out. the coast guard said no oil is coming from the well. a national tragedy is playing out in the plains of west texas. frail investigators are trying to determine whether a small parade to honor wounded veterans had been given enough warning to clear train tracks they were trying to cross. a freight lane slammed into the tractor trailer killing four decorated veterans and injuring 16 people. there's been another terrible train crash this one in southern egypt. a security official says it appears a railroad crossing was not closed when a speeding train collided with a bus today as it was taking kindergartners to school. 47 children and two adults were killed in the accident. a missouri man is charged with planning mass shootings in public places. police say 20-year-old blake lamers says he bought 400 rounds of am nice, he was concerned he would run out at the twilight

movie, so he targeted walmamart where he could get more ammunition. officials are looking into a chemical fire at texas. witnesses heard several explosions at the plant. there have been no reports of anyone hurt. mike ditka is recovering today from what doctors are calling a minor stroke. the former chicago bear's head coach was hospitalized on friday. ditka was playing cards at a country club when he noticed his hands weren't quite working right and he had a problem speaking. he said he now feels fine but he won't appear on espn this weekend and he will lay off the cards for just a bit. finally our thanks to the person who invented dash cam video. and dvr, but mainly dash cam video. check this out. a car hitting a police cruiser head on in wisconsin, the officer's near brush with death started with a routine traffic stop. seconds later his patrol car was hit head on.

the officer was hurt. the other driver was not. investigators believe fatigue could have caused the crash. said dash cam video afterwards, you're welcome. now back to lester and erica. >> thanks, jenna. you will hear befoabout that onr a while. >> she tried to throw in a dilla in there. >> i like it. >> it could catch on. we are talking about nice weather across the eastern half of the country. most of us enjoying sunshine, but look at the series of storms making their way on shore out west. we will see days and days of rain. and also some mountain snow, especially above 6,000 feet. we will measure snow in feet and here's a look at the radar in the north bay. the rape in petaluma and lighter

rain west of hayward and rain spilling off the santa cruz mountains in sunnyvale and san jose. hit and miss showers and milling in towards this evening at 7:00 and 8:00. rain hanging on towards trchl morning and the wettest part of this weekend will be this evening. shutting down on sunday and shifting to the far north bay. latest forecast. lesters? now to t that is your latest forecast. missing florida mother we've been telling you about. michelle parker was last seen a year ago today, the same day she and the father of her children appeared on an episode of "the people's court." now her families is reflecting on the year since she's disappeared. nbc's mark potter has the story. >> reporter: another search this month for orlando mom michelle parker. missing for a year now with no approvable explanation for her disappearance, no trace of her

whereabouts. parker vanished the day her pre-taped appearance on "the people's court" tv show aired publicly. she was on the show arguing with her ex-fiance dale smith over the cost of a missing engagement ring. smith is the father of two of parker's children and is the last known person to have seen her alive after she dropped off the kids at his house. this devastates her mother. >> i describe it as being at a funeral every single day. every hour of every day. and it never goes away. you can't get away from it, as hard as you try. >> reporter: parker's family became concerned when she failed to show up for work at a restaurant in nearby sanford, florida. the next day her hummer was found at a parking lot in southeast orlando, and three weeks later her iphone was recovered at an orlando lake. a spokesman for the orlando police department says the lead suspect in the case is still dale smith, the ex-fiance.

although no charges have been filed. and smith denies any involvement in parker's disappearance. police say currently there are no updates in the case, but also say the investigatoion is still active and that the department will continue to support the family in search efforts in hopes of locating michelle. lauren erickson is parker's sister and keeps her room filled with her sister's belongings. >> she'll never get dressed up and go out and be with her friends and family which she loved to do. nothing will ever make it right. nothing will ever make it easier. >> reporter: for the family, the hardest part is having to explain the disappearance to her children. now 20 minutes past the hour. here's erica. >> it's been nearly three weeks since hurricane sandy hit the east coast making landfall along the new jersey coastline. the jersey shore some of the worst damage. many people are living there are

just seeing that destruction for the first time. stephanie gosk was there. >> reporter: vision beach on the jersey shore. three neighbors, their houses are totally gone. >> my grandfather has had his house for 63 years. and it was our future. but it's also my past. this is the handle to our stove. >> reporter: how hard is this today? >> it's devastating. it's devastating. i don't know what else to say. the idea of rebuilding doesn't even seem like it's possible right now. >> reporter: people here today are just trying to understand the scope of the destruction. this house is obviously off its foundation. this is also the second floor. >> even if you could wave a magic wand and everything's going to be put back, it's going to be years before some of that comes back.

i woalked on the boardwalk growing up. it's bent like crazy. to see this, it's a big task. my friend joe, i've known him all my life. his whole house is gone. he left his safe in the house. he's digging for it now. >> reporter: tell me what you're hoping to find with this? >> a safe with family mementos, pictures of my parents, just, you know, my eagle scout award. every one of these houses, you're family. and, you know, you all hang out on the beach together and you watch your kids grow and you watch the grandkids grow. and it's -- you know, you got your memories. >> reporter: for "today," stephanie gosk, nbc news on the jersey shore. still to come, a haunting letter from a drunk driver from a 9-year-old girl left paralyzed

from an accident he caused. she will join us live. but first, this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] this is the story of sam,

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and sutter health -- our story is you. still to come on "today," the dangers of cheerleading. what all young athletes need to know. plus, how some young people are trying to make a profit from your lost luggage. but first, these messages. [ boy 1 ] hey! that's the last crescent.

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good morning. taking a look at the san mateo bridge. the rain sheen on the sur surface and hopefully folks are drivewaying at a safe speed. thanks for joining us. whether or not we can expect that later today. >> we will have a break and the rain will fill in again. this morning we have been seeing the rape off the ocean into the north bay and sonoma and napa counties. moderate rain in the north bay and lighter rain around the san mateo bridge and another blob starting to cross over into sunnyvale and palo alto. hour by hour, we will get another line coming in towards the evening. this is when the heaviest rain of the weekend will come in. into the south bay tomorrow morning, i think things will clear out a little bit as we wrap up the weekend. today's highs, we get a muggy morning. upper 50s and low 60s will be

that way again. the main event toward this is evening and clear sunday afternoon. >> we have a developing story where a plaintiff is injury and an all out manhunt for an armed robbery suspect. highway 101 officers spotted two men in a car that looked like one connected to armed robberies. when officers tried to pull them over, they led officers on a chase near actually road. at that intersection, one of the suspects got out of the car and started shooting, grazing one police officer. another officer shot back, hitting one suspect and that suspect ran away and was later caught in a nearby neighborhood. he is skpekted to survive. his partner ran away and is still on the loose. they are believed to be involved in a crime spree at a gas

station, pizza parlor and fast food station throughout the city. in the east way marks a painful anniversary for valet ho. a memorial will be held to remember the life of an officer. a year ago today he was shot and killed by a bank robbery suspect. he is known for devotion to his family and his community as well as colleagues. that memorial will start at 11:00. he will be in court later this month. coming up this morning, a man is behind bars for planning a copycat shooting at the screening of the new twilight movie. we will show you what led to his arrest. we have more movies in 30 minutes and all the day's news at 7:00.

we are back on a saturday morning, november 17th, 2012. i'm not sure if you can see them, but the elves here in rockefeller center are hard at work getting the world christmas tree ready for view in a couple weeks. it's very exciting to see that. >> especially elves in hard hats. coming up in this half-hour, it's a bizarre crime story out of belize. john mcafee, the billionaire founder of mcafee anti-virus software, is a person of interest in a murder case. have you ever lost your bags and never saw them again? >> thankfully not, although i'm guessing you haven't. >> i always get the bag, not always everything in it. but usually you do get your bag in a day or so. wait to you see what happens to some luggage that never gets claimed. it can turn into a high stakes game of poker. and a bit later on, is it the end of an era?

twinkie fans everywhere, and snowball fans, as we learned lester holt is this morning. >> and yodles. >> a lot of people worried that the cream-filled snacks are going the way of the dinosaur now that hostess is going out of business. we want to begin this half-hour with a young girl whose life was changed in an instant. she was riding in a car days before her 8th birthday when a drunk driver crashed into her. for that man's sentencing hearing, she wrote him a haunting letter to make him understand what he did to her. but first, jenna is back with more on her story. good morning. >> good morning to you. so that beautiful little girl right there spent 104 days in the hospital recovering from that accident and she wanted the man responsible to know how he changed her life. >> hi jeremy. i am a 9-year-old, a 4th grader, so i was diagnosed as a

paraplegic. >> reporter: on july 9th in fort worth, texas, chili and her sister were going out to get their hair and nails done, where out of anywhere, jeremy, drunk, slammed head-on to their car. she was paralyzed from the chest down. >> there are days that i cry because i can't do what i used to do. >> reporter: at solis's sentencing last week, she tried to read her letter in court but couldn't control her tears. when her mom read it, no one else in the room, including the defendant, could control theirs either. >> i had tubes through my mouth and nose. >> reporter: solis pleaded guilty to intoxication, assault and was sentenced to ten years. he's eligible for parole in five. but for chilli, she'll always measure time as before the accident and after. >> look at what i said and i said tell me how you feel.

do you remember july 9th? >> the other message here is for all drivers, it's an obvious one, but it's a constant reminder. always think twice before drinking and getting behind the wheel. lester? >> jenna, thanks. chilli and her mother are both here. can i call you chilli? is that okay? >> uh-huh. >> tell me about what happened. you were going to get your hair done and your nails done. what do you remember about that day? >> that we had fun. >> you were having fun until the accident, when you got to the hospital. do you remember anything about the accident? what's been the most difficult part? because in the letter that you wrote to this man, you really described all the things that went on in the hospital. tell me about the kind of therapy and the things you're learning to do. >> therapy is an easy school. the hardest was x-rays.

>> x-rays every day, you wrote about in the book, right? and you call her your miracle child, because the news was really not good. >> no. when i arrived at the accident, i saw everybody just waiting there. at the hospital, the doctor said it's best for you to call your pastor. they didn't think she was going to make it. >> but she did make it. she's a strong little girl. >> she went through four surgeries within a month. >> very strong little girl. she went through all the x-rays and all the therapy. i know it's been a difficult road. but she found the strength to write a letter to the person that hit the car. were you surprised that she was able to put on paper all these thoughts? >> no. i wasn't surprised at all. i know my daughter. she's going to let people know how she feels. >> well, she did. she describes everything she went through. do you feel like reading a little bit of the letter? because you get personal to this

person near the end. would you mind reading that to us? >> all of it? >> reporter: just maybe the part at the bottom there that's underlined. >> i would like for you to meet me and my family. i have two sisters, i have two brothers, mom and dad. we have lots of fun and there are days that are bad because i have a hard time getting around. look at what i said and the words i said and tell me how i look and feel. how do you feel? today. >> did he answer you? what was his reaction when that letter was read in court? do you remember? >> i didn't read it. >> i know the judge read it, but when it was read to you, do you remember what the man's reaction was? >> everybody was tearing up in court. even the judge.

>> it was difficult. and this man's been sent away now for ten years. >> yes. >> chilli, how do you feel about this man spending ten years in prison? >> to me, i feel like it's scary to me. >> it's a long time. do you think that maybe you've sent a very important message to people who think they can drink and drive? what's that message? >> to stop drinking and driving. >> do you think you'll write him any more letters? what do you want to say? >> i haven't thought about that yet. >> but you want to stay in contact somehow. are you hoping that he sends you a letter back and answers and truly apologizes? is that what you want? >> yes. >> an apology? you must be very proud of her. >> i am. >> and what's her prognosis? >> she was diagnosed as a paraplegic. >> but still going through

therapy. >> still going to therapy. she believes she's going walk and so do i. >> i know you both have some pretty difficult days. >> yes. >> well, thanks for stopping by. chilli, thanks for writing that letter because i think you send an important message that will hopefully resonate far outside that courtroom and that's a message for all of us. appreciate it. and we're going to go outside now, get another check of the weather from dylan. >> it is a chilly morning in new york city. a little bit breezy, too. but the whole eastern half of the country actually will be enjoying some pretty nice weather today, at least sunny. it is going to be chilly across the northeast, but above average in the middle of the country. we're looking at highs today topping out in the 60s and even lower 70s down into texas. but in the northeast, we'll be in the 40s. the west coast, 40s and 50s. we've got a big storm system moving into the western part of the country. we've got heavy rain, days of rain, perhaps through tuesday where we could end up with several inches of rain and several feet of snow in the

here's a look at the temperatures. 50s and 60 outside. it's muggy and windy around parts of the south bay. 22 in san jose and we have rain coming through comprehending into parts of the north bay and into palo alto down into places just to the west of mountain view. you can see around saratoga too. mild temperatures in the low to mid 60s. rain will fill in towards this evening and pick up and taper off as we go through sunday. and that's your latest weather. of course, any time you want to get the weather online, you can always check out weather.com. lester? >> all right, dylan. thanks very much. up next, one of america's most successful businessmen hiding out from authorities as a strange murder mystery unfolds. he'll tell us why right after this. ♪

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fugitive involved in a bizarre crime mystery. michelle franzen has the story. >> reporter: it has all the intrigue of a hollywood movie, a murder mystery set in an exotic location. but this is real life for john mcafee, creator of an anti-virus software program who moved to belize three years ago with his fortune. but now the 67-year-old is in hiding. in a phone interview, mcafee tells nbc news belize authoritiers want to charge him for the shooting death of his 52-year-old neighbor. are you responsible at all for the shooting death? >> of course i'm not responsible. and it's regrettable. i barely nugentleman. >> reporter: fall was found with a single gunshot wound to his head. he and others complained about mcafee's dog in the past, dogs that had recently been poisoned, but mcafee does not believe fall was involved. >> we did not get along.

he did not like my dogs. but he owns dogs. he would never have poisoned my dogs. >> reporter: belize authorities call mcafee a person of interest, but say they only want to talk to him. >> we want to talk with him. what on earth can be wrong with that? >> reporter: mcafee claims he is the target of corrupt officials who want to kill him in. april, local authorities raided mcafee's home, accusing him of operating a drug lab and poss s possessing firearms. >> there's a lot of things going on here. this is not something the authorities are going to turn a blind eye at. >> reporter: wired writer joshua davis travelled to belize to interview mcafee and is in close contact with the eccentric software pioneer. he says mcafee played russian roulette with a gun during his visit and posed with guns in november for the cover story before his neighbor died. >> i can say he is a bizarre, strange person. do i think he did it?

i can't say. >> reporter: meanwhile, mcafee says he has no plans to turn himself in and will fight the allegations. >> i think the eccentricity in some people makes for a more interesting world, but does not make a murderer. >> reporter: for "today," michelle franzen, nbc news news, new york. up next, before you get on the plane for your holiday get-away, you may want to see how some people are trying to make money after your lost luggage. have rheumatoid arthritis, can you start the day the way you want? can orencia help? [ woman ] i wanted to get up when i was ready, not my joints. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur

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the height of the travel season is fast-approaching. more passengers flying means more potential for lost luggage. normally it takes hours to find misplaced bags. but did you ever wonder what happens to all the baggage that never gets claimed? just gets lost out there. well here is a glimpse. >> reporter: it's every traveler's worst nightmare. the conveyer belt stops moving and your luggage is nowhere in

sight. lost, gone, never to be seen again? not quite. after 90 days, many of the hundreds of thousands of missing bags make their way from the airport to the auction block and sold to the highest bidder. >> sold! $500. >> reporter: sally and lawrence martin have made a 20-year career out of taking a chance on what's inside of that. >> what do you think's back here? there's something in here. >> there is. >> it's an antique book. >> reporter: they travel to the world's airports in search of hidden treasures. >> we get really lucky. >> reporter: and that's the premise of the travel channel show "baggage battles", where billy leroy and mark meyer square off against each other. >> fool's gold. i want to strangle him. i'm gambling here. there's no sure bet. >> when it comes to bidding, they are my enemy. >> ralph and billy -- >> reporter: telling people about the horses.

these guys bet on baggage. >> 120. 130. >> reporter: but here's the chasm before they bid, they can't look inside. they've got to go with their gut. you say that you need need to look. >> some bags scream out to you and others are just leave me alone. >> every book tells a story. every bag tells a story. >> and they really do. >> reporter: one thing all of these have in common, missing tags. but to make sure your bags don't become a part of this story, lawrence and sally have one very important piece of advice. >> just don't put your name and address on the outside. inside, put a big piece of paper with your name and address on it. as soon as you open up the bag, there it is. that's the biggest tip i can give anybody. >> reporter: or else, your loss may just be someone else's treasure. >> this is so cool.

>> you never know what's in the next bag. there could be the declaration of independence. just ahead, could it really be the end of twinkies? we'll look at why the iconic treats means so much to so many people. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

still to come on "today," the potential dangers of cheerleading. plus, the young woman who walked into a plane propeller talks about faith and putting her life together nearly one year later. but first, these messages. people have doubts about taking aspirin for pain.

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at the corner of happy and healthy. >> good morning.

looking live at what we can see of san francisco this morning. lots of heavy fog. could we call it drizzle in let's find out. i would say those are drippy clouds. >> you are seeing hair spray rain, enough for it to fallout of the clouds and hit the ground. add extra volume to your hair free of charge. 50s and 60s and muggy out there. light rain is falling and windy too. san jose southeast at 22. some gusts up to 30. your lawn furniture may have been blown over. right now we can see the rape. it's more scattered and not completely filled in. some areas of rain around the south bay around cupertino. around the san mateo bridge and areas of rain too. in the sierra, snow levels are high and it's muggy. snow levels of 6,000 to 7,000

feet. scattered rain and notice here as we go hour by hour, 3 to 6:00, the next band of rain will fill in. by tomorrow morning, we should see things shutting down. the main event for the rain will come in towards this evening and tomorrow clearing and temperatures not changing a lot. 50s and 60s. >> thank you very much. a 14-year-old boy accused of an unthinkable attack on a woman will be charged as an adult. the 14-year-old caviar king faces charges of attempted mother murder, kidnapping and robbery. he abducted a woman from the parking lot of a shopping center. it was about 5:00 yesterday evening and he forced her to drive to another location where he sexually assaulted her and duffled her while she was unconscious along the side of the road.

they are taking steps to protect yourself. >> you wait for the police and they may get there after the fact. people are going to have to start packing. >> during the two-hour ordeal the teen used the victim's cell phone to demand a ransom that was not paid. the 65-year-old suffered serious injuries and is recovering at the hospital. the 14-year-old is due in court to face charges on monday. an eerie case of deja vu. a missouri man is accused of planning a copycat movie theater shooting at the screening of a twilight movie. police in missouri arrested this 20-year-old after a tip from his mother. she alerted police that her son performed weapons similar to the movie theater shooting and feared her son may try to replicate the crime. he bought a ticket and planned to shoot people there.

friends say he has a history of mental illness. coming up on good day in the bay, the latest on the south bay violent night as an officer is injury and the search continues for a suspect. all the day's news coming up in a half hour.

welcome back to "today," saturday morning, the 17th day of november. >> not december yet. not yet. >> i almost said it. november 2012. we've got a great crowd in the plaza waving hello to their friends and family back home. actually, they're screaming hello. yeah. have at it. our thanks to them for spending part of their saturday with us. back inside studio 1a. i'm lester holt along with erica hill. >> that's my fault because i was talk about christmas decorations before i came back on the air. i had you in december. >> we were talking about thangig lights. just ahead, former cia director david petraeus testifies on capitol hill. he was hidden from view as he went to testify in secret about his old job, and what he knows about the attack in benghazi, libya, on 9/11 of this year. plus, the danger of cheerleading.

hear what doctors are saying about this risk. sometimes i kind of hold my breath. >> cringe a little bit when they flip in the air. it's been nearly a year since lauren scruggs' tragic accident. she walked into a plane's propeller, losing a hand and an eye. they join us live in an exclusive interview that talk about what has gotten them through this difficult time. pretty inspiring group of people right there. then we switch gears, talking a little thanksgiving and all the trimmings with sandra lee. >> i think she'll start us off with some cocktails. and caramel. i remember reading something about that. want to begin this half-hour with the tense situation going on in the middle east. hamas and israel exchange fire overnight. the israeli military has now massed tanks and troops along the border with gaza, signaling a ground invasion could be imminent. richard engel is in gaza. richard, what's happening there this morning?

>> reporter: good morning. israel has also sent troops and military hardware to the border here in gaza. inside gaza city, there have been more air strikes. in fact, there was an air strike here not long ago. we can hear israeli drones in the sky, as this conflict continues to escalate. gaza's skyline last night, as israel launched more than 200 air strikes to destroy hamas rockets and punish the hamas government and perhaps prepare the ground for an invasion that could become a blood bath. but hamas was still able to fire back, launching rockets into southern israel. many of them were intercepted by israel's iron dome defense system. in gaza city, there is no real air defense, and the hamas prime minister won't be meeting any more officials in his office. yesterday, he greeted egypt's prime minister here.

today, the tunisian foreign minister's delegation could only look at the rubble. witnesses say the prime minister's office was hit by at least four israeli air strikes. this was the symbol of hamas's authority in the gaza strip. now hamas's top leaders have gone into hiding. so israel is hunting them down in their homes. israel flattened this apartment building where a hamas police official was living. amazingly, the 35 residents inside escaped as the building pancaked. but next door, a middle schoolteacher who says he isn't involved with hamas, told me his five children are now in the hospital. >> translator: the israelis aren't being precise. i didn't launch any rockets at tel aviv. there is no excuse. >> reporter: residents salvaged what they could. so did this 4-year-old. these are childhood memories she's unlike tloi forget. in most of gaza, the streets are

closed. men steeled their nerves, watching nonstop hamas videos now on tv that praise the militants. gazans know they can expect more destruction and more deaths. several middle east leaders, including the turkish prime minister, are meeting today in cairo, but so far, there is no real talk of a cease fire. lester? >> we can hear those drones behind you. what just happened there, richard? >> reporter: it sounds like a rocket was just launched coming out of some part of here in gaza city heading in the direction of israel. it will take a couple of minutes before it lands. it's heading in the direction of what appears to be a city that was hit by similar rockets earlier today, and according to the israeli media, three israelis were lightly injured in that attack. we'll know what the result is of this quite soon. >> okay. we just heard that. thank you, richard engel,

appreciate it. now here's erica. >> reporter: turning now to latest on general david petraeus. on friday, he testified on capitol hill about the deadly attack of benghazi, libya, as new information emerges about the women involved in the scandal that ended his career. kristin welker is in our washington bureau with the latest. >> reporter: general petraeus snuck in and out of the capitol on friday, but his testimony is still making waves with lawmakers, some saying it only raises more questions about the way the administration handled the benghazi attack. we are learning that both women at the center of this scandal have tie tas go all the way to the white house. general david petraeus was whisked to capitol hill friday to testify about the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi. due to the fire storm surrounding his life, reporters were blocked inside the building to "spare him embarrassment." >> general petraeus's briefing was comprehensive. i think it was important. >> reporter: but his testimony

is raising more questions for some congressional leaders. lawmakers say petraeus testified that the cia immediately believed that terrorists were involved in the september 11 benghazi assault, a stark contrast to the account u.n. ambassador susan rice gave in the days after the incident. >> our current assessment is that what happened in benghazi was, in fact, initially a spontaneous reaction. >> reporter: some lawmakers said the discrepancy was the result of evolving intelligence, while others noted the cia's initial assessment of terrorism was classified, in part to conceal the role that terrorists played, and therefore not included in the talking points rice was given. >> the original talking points were much more specific about al qaeda involvement, and yet the final ones said indication of extremists. >> reporter: democrats defended the administration, saying rice was limited in how much she could say publicly about the incident. >> i don't think she should be pilloried for this. she did what i would have done or anyone else would have done.

>> reporter: meanwhile, new details emerged friday about the two women at the center of the petraeus affair scandal. according to a white house official, jill kelley and her twin sister had lunch twice at the white house, invited by a mid level staffer whom they'd met at mcdill air force base. they also toured the building on november 4th just days before petraeus would resign. kelley even boasted about the troy polamalu tampa's mayor, a friend, saying ps, i was at the white house with my friends in the administration this weekend. the stress was surreal! paula broadwell, the biographer who was having an affair with petraeus, also visited the white house complex twice for meetings on afghanistan in the executive office building. back on capitol hill, those who attended petraeus's testimony said he apologized for his behavior. >> he was very sorry that this occurred and that anything that occurred with respect to his personal situation had nothing to do with the way he handled benghazi. >> reporter: lawmakers who were

in the room also said that petraeus's resignation had nothing to do with the consulate attacks, saying it was solely to do with the fallout from his admitted extramarital affair. want to turn back to the news desk. jenna wolf with more of the day's top stories. >> bloodstained books and school bags are strewn along railroad tracks in southern egypt this morning. at least 47 children ages 4 to 6 were killed today when their bus was slammed into by a speeding train. egypt's railway system has a poor safety record, mostly due to bad management and poor maintenance. the coast guard is still looking for two oil workers missing in the gulf of mexico after a fire critically hurt four others. officials say the workers were cutting an oil line with a torch. vapors in the line ignited leading to an explosion and fire. the coast guard says no oil is coming from the well. a southwest missouri man is charged with planning a mass shooting at a theater, showing the premiere of the new "twilight" movie. police arrested this 20-year-old

man after his mother told them she feared her son bought weapons similar to those used at a mass shooting a at colorado movie theater. he bought tickets to the "twilight" movie and planned to shoot people inside that theater. the police chief says he is under a doctor's care for mental illness and that he has been off his medication. congressional leaders are voicing confidence they can reach a deal to avoid the so called fiscal cliff. top democrats and republicans spoke after a closed door meeting friday with president obama. the lawmakers need to reach a deal with the president to avert a series of tax increases and spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect on january 1st. president obama takes a brief break from the negotiations today. he will attend the east asia summit and seek to counter the shadow being cast over the region by china. and new meaning to the term girls weekend. 28 women cram themselves in a mini cooper on the banks of the river thames this week.

have you been in the cooper? it comfortably seats two. these women invited 26 more. they had to stay in the mini with all the doors and windows shut for five seconds for the new guinness record to stand. said one of the women afterwards, "well, that was interesting." and finally, take a look at this picture. it shows president obama jokingly mimicking u.s. olympic gymnast micayla maroney's not impressed look. they were greeting members of the 2012 u.s. olympic gymnastics team in the oval office earlier this week. that is the news. now let's get another check of the weather from dylan. >> that's a hard face to hold to be unimpressed standing next to the president. we are looking at a pretty chilly morning here in new york city. the whole northeast will be seeing below average temperatures. it's the middle of the country that's enjoying much, much nicer weather. we are actually dealing with a lot of storms affecting the west coast. we have high wind watches, we have winter weather advisories and storm warnings through the mountain where is we could see

feet of snow. we also have a lot of rain moving into seattle down through oregon. and heavy rain right now is affecting most of california. this is going to be an event that lasts until at least tuesday. we're going to see a lot of heavy rain the radar shows you that we have rain pushing into the bay area and mainly scattered light rain off the west of san jose and sdrizle in a few spots. palo alto across the dumbarton. notice the trend. we will see the rain ease off and towards the evening, here comes the next round that sweeps through lingering into tomorrow morning. the temperatures today staying mild. low to mid 60s with clearing skies. a bit drier. >> and i found a huge group of girls here. you guys, turned a road trip into something more, huh? >> yes, we did. our community came together. and we brought a whole bus load of stuff up for the hurricane victims. >> that's wonderful.

thank you so much for doing that. that's your latest forecast. lester? >> thank you. a dancer on the orlando magic stunt team is recovering after a nasty fall while performing this week. it's once again drawing attention to the dangers of cheerleading. here's gabe gutierrez. >> see her leg get caught on his shoulders. >> reporter: the crowd never saw it coming. 31-year-old jamie woode, part of the orlando, magic stunt team, lost her balance and tumbled to the floor this week during a game against the new york knicks. the arena watched in silence, as paramedics rushed to help her. then, applause. woode waved to fans as she was taken off the court on a stretcher. >> i think it was a freak accident. what she was doing when she fell wasn't even an advanced stunt. >> reporter: a freak accident? perhaps. but injuries to cheerleaders are surging. you can find videos of similar plunges all over youtube. and last year, there were more

than 38,000 emergency room visits related to cheerleading. now, there's even a reality show called "cheer" on cable channel cmt, documenting the intense world of competitive cheerleading. >> as people do more cheerleading and they get more advanced, they do much more complicated stunts. >> reporter: last month, the american academy of pediatrics recommended that cheerleading be classified as an official sport. >> risk of catastrophic injuries where patients have a permanent disability, is higher than any other sport for female athletes. of all of the catastrophic injuries, two-thirds of them come from cheerleading for high school and college girls. >> reporter: lauren jackson knows that too well. five years ago, she fell on her neck in. >> had they had stricter guidelines and regulations and

precautions, this might have been prevented. >> reporter: as for the magic stunt performer, the team says she's in stable condition, after suffering three vertebrae fractures and a broken rib. she is expected to fully recover. for "today," gabe gutierrez, abc news. up next here on "today," is the twinkie about to go extinct? i think this one did. it's pretty stale. we'll tell you more about it. tes when you can prevent the acid that's causing it with prevacid24hr. with one pill prevacid24hr works at the source to prevent the acid that causes frequent heartburn all day and all night. and with new prevacid24hr perks, you can earn rewards from dinner deals to music downloads for purchasing prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours with prevacid24hr. prevent acid all day and all night for 24 hours social security are just numbers thinkin a budget.d... well, we worked hard for those benefits.

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and the doctor said, cindie, you have shingles. he said, you had chickenpox when you were a little girl... i said, yes, i did. i don't think anybody ever thinks they're going to get shingles. but it happened to me. for more of the inside story, visit shinglesinfo.com twinkie fans are twinkie fans are rushing the stores these days with word that their maker, hostess, is going out of business. you really ordered your own stash? >> i ordered 100. i figured that would last me the rest of my life. this is my single-favorite junk food indulgence. the thought of them going away, is driving me crazy. now that they could be going away, people are trying to get their last taste of the sweet favorite. ♪ honey

>> reporter: it's being called the twinkie apocalypse. the sad ending for the snack has many up in arms. >> i don't know what i'm going to do without them being here. this is going to be a sad moment for me. >> that's a sad thing. it's been in business for so long. >> i'm going to be all upset. i grew up with twinkies. >> reporter: across the country, twinkies, along with other hostess snacks, have been flying off store shelves and landing online, becoming one of the hottest commodities on ebay. the starting bid for a single twinkie, $5,000. and if you want ten boxes, a whopping $1.5 million. >> the twinkie represents a certain nostalgia. >> what do we have? hostess twinkies. >> its going away, is something that makes people feel like an era is over. >> you get a big delight in every bite of hostess twinkies.

>> i love them. >> reporter: why? >> because they're so delicious and they have cream. >> reporter: how do you feel when you know they're going to go away? >> they're a childhood memory. >> reporter: what can you do? >> write a letter to them. >> this is a setup. i'm not answering questions on twinkies. >> reporter: others have gone all-out. >> save the twinkie. save the american icon. i'm wendy williams. and i approve this message. >> reporter: a few brave souls are preparing for twinkies' twilight. >> it may be time to say good-bye to the twinkie. i feel sad about it. i'm heartbroken. i feel like we're a strong enough country to move on from it. >> reporter: it may not be the end of the line for twinkies. there's self companies rumored to have interest buyi ining hos. this is also a story about the 18,000 workers who will be unemployed. >> there's a lot of brands here.

earlier, i say yo-hos. and this guy says, he called me out. he says, they're not called yo-hos. wasn't there a yo-ho also? >> there's a yoo-hoo, chocolate milk. >> if you take half of one, half of the other. and you have a yo-ho. >> all right. maybe you're right. never mind >> thanks, by the way. i know. >> it's going to cost you. >> it's all right. lester will pay for it. still ahead, cracker jacks with a new kick. find out just what's new in our "weekly rewind." first, this is "today" on nbc. alright let's break it down.

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still to come on "today," we're still eating. sandra is here with some recipes to spice up your thanksgiving table. >> that's why i love this show.

plus, lauren scruggs and her family are here to talk about the long road back for a look at the event that changed her life. but first, these messages. at the home depot. we can upgrade to sleeker... larger and more energy-efficient at black friday prices... today. uh-oh. looks like the secret's out. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. right now, get this maytag 4-door refrigerator for just $1698. save $800. that's been wrapped in a flaky crust stuffed with a gooey center toasted up all golden brown then given a delicious design? a toaster strudel. pillsbury toaster strudel. so delicious...so fun.

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good morning. if you are 1ering if it's still raping, it certainly is. let's look at what's happening outside your window. rob has the doppler radar that looks very rainy. >> it's green, but not totally filled in. one of the things you will notice is this is a warm weather system. morning temperatures in the upper 50s to near 60. breezy too. winds from 15 to 30 miles per hour and winds out of the east-southeast. the radar with pocks of green and light to moderate rain and more of a swiss cheese look. scattered areas of rain around highway 17 and more around castro valley near san ramon and danville with scattered showers in the north bay. hour by hour around midday, a few sunny breaks and the rain eases off and there comes the evening. the next rain band that pushes through that will linger through 11:00. temperature-wise not changing a

lot as rain changes to isolated showers. mid 60s outside for the warmest places and then tomorrow we will start off with the rain and the second half of the weekend is not looking as bad. showers early and clearing as we get into sunday. >> thank you very much, rob. new details this morning with a stunning investigation. a sheriff's deputy is on the wrong side of the law accused of robbing a bank and it's caught on camera. we have a getto of the crime. this man last wednesday went into a bank of america in the outer richmond district of san francisco and handed the teller a note and took off with $1700. >> the residents of san francisco expect the men and women in uniform to uphold the laws and serve and protect the community and the conduct of this defendant is deplorable. there going to be serious consequences for this conduct. >> investigators say the

36-year-old was identified through surveillance and fingerprints. he faces several felony robbery charges. the father of two from pacifica recently filed for bankruptcy. if found guilty of a felony, he will be fired. new this morning, 200 air strikes by israel as violence continues to escalate. ten people are lead as a result of the latest attacks. air strikes are aimed at several buildings in gaza including the hamas program and a police compound. air strikes came after a rocket strike in jerusalem. they set off 500 rocks against israel with jerusalem and tel av aviv. today in the bay, we search for a suspect after a string of robberies and a shootout with police on city streets. one officer was injured in the chaos. we have all the day's news for you in about 30 minutes.

today in the bay starts at 7:00.

we are back on this lovely crisp fall morning. saturday, november 17th, 2012. some nice friends on the plaza with us. a couple of reindeers that we picked up. doing a little christmas shopping here in new york city. i'm erica hill along with lester holt, jenna wolf and dylan drier. it's not cold at all, right? we just keep telling ourselves that. >> crisp. >> this is arctic. still ahead this half-hour, lauren scruggs, you may remember her story. she survived a near fatal accident. actually, walking into a plane propeller. look at her now. she lost a hand. she lost an eye. it's an incredible story of her recovery over the past year, nothing short of remarkable. she's here this morning with her family talking about what got them through it. thanksgiving is coming up right around the corner. sandra lee is going to stop by. she's got some great holiday preparation ideas. i'm starting my baking as soon as i get off the show this morning. >> nice. >> a little overachiever.

>> i'm throwing in something for you guys. and then, in our weekly rewind, we've sort of targeted the bizarre and the interesting and the what was that. >> like that. >> we have a fine array of topics to discuss this morning, like that. we'll have more of that coming up in this half-hour. >> but first, dylan dreyer has a check of the weather for us. >> are we going with crisp or arctic? >> this is arctic. no gloves. >> but either way, it is a very chilly morning here in new york city. the middle of the country is actually going to enjoy above average temperatures by several degrees. it's looking pretty nice, with highs in the 60s all through the plains states. we're also looking at the 40s to hang around in the northeast for quite some time. it is going to be chilly through the rest of this weekend. we do have some heavy rain moving into the west coast until perhaps next tuesday. we will see inches of rain, several inches, perhaps up to five inches of rainfall and feet

of mountain snow possible. the rest of the country is looking pretty quiet on sunday through the carolinas and the outer banks, we will see some rain, perhaps some rough surf with the storm off the coast at th and tomorrow night is a big night. it's "sunday night football" night in america. we are heading to pittsburgh for sunday night's game, a big rivalry. the baltimore ravens taking on the pittsburgh steelers.

heinz field looks clear and cool. weather should not be a factor. 43 to 47 degrees for "sunday night football" night in america. for your football forecast, or any forecast, for that matter, just go to weather.com. erica? nearly one year ago, lauren scruggs was badly hurt in a tragic accident. the 123-year-old walked into a plane's propeller, losing her left hand and an eye. she opens up about the story in her new book, and we'll talk with lauren, her parents and her twin sister in just a moment. but first, natalie morales looks at lauren's life after the accident. >> reporter: just a year ago, lauren scruggs' future was bright. the beautiful girl her friends called lo-lo had big plans and even bigger dreams as she pursued a career in fashion. >> i am lauren scruggs with lo-lo mag. >> reporter: but in one awful

moment in december 2011, everything changed. she found herself lying on a tarmac fighting for her life after being struck by a moving airplane propeller. lauren's mother sheryl. >> i could see the plane and i could see lauren just lying face down. all i had at that point was prayer. that's all i could do. i wasn't really sure what was happening. i didn't know if she was alive. i couldn't see where the blood was coming from. she was laying in a big pool of blood. >> reporter: nearly a year after that horrific night, lauren is doing well and adjusting to her new challenges. now what is your new normal? >> my new normal is just the way my body is now with one eye and one hand and going through healing. >> reporter: it's been a long road for lauren, filled with months of daily physical therapy and learning to live with her prosthetic eye and left hand. >> reporter: you say in the book that the hardest thing for you was really losing the hand.

when you were going through the process of getting fit for prosthetics. that's really when it hit you. >> yeah. because i'm thinking, i'm having to get this and i never would have thought that, you know? >> reporter: this is your second home? >> it is. >> reporter: lauren took me to athletes performance, where she works out, building her strength. she says working out has been key to her recovery. >> let's see if you've got some game, natalie. >> reporter: she even challenged know a push-up competition. >> she's a competitor, this one. >> reporter: lauren scruggs stands as a lesson in fortitude and resilience. she faces her new challenges with grace and a determination to make the most of her second chance at life. >> lauren scruggs is here along with her parents sheryl and jeff and her twin sister brittany. >> good morning. >> it's such an inspiring story. we see you and all of the progress you've made. it hasn't even been a year yet. that's a lot to go through, and to be at this point where you

seem to be doing so well. you seem to be thriving. what got you here, though? how do you motivate yourself to get up in the morning? >> well, i think it's mostly just my faith in the lord and i know that he has a great purpose in it. he's just poured out his love on me and grace on me and saved my life, and has allow know thrive in life after this, and also just my community of people around me and the support of my friends and my family. it's just been amazing. >> you're a very tight-knit group. you talk about a purpose for this. sheryl, i know you wrote about this, writing deep down i knew that god had known this accident was going to happen, that he could have stopped it, but didn't. so god must have a purpose. when something tragic happens, everybody seems to have that question of why. and they're not always able to reconcile it. do you feel that you've found what the purpose was in this? >> absolutely. you know, god doesn't give us any more than we can handle. and the one thing -- one verse that i stand on is god can do

immeasurably more than you could ever ask or imagine. when i relate that to this accident, i know that god didn't give her any more than she could handle and that he's going to do a lot with her life. so, you know, you just have to believe in god and what he can do. you just have to go along with that. >> that positivity. >> i don't question it. >> and the positivity has really helped, too. i know you've all encouraged lauren over the past year. when you took some of your first steps and how you encouraged her to go farther and do more. you don't actually remember that moment, do you? >> no, i don't. >> it was early in the hospital and her physical therapist wanted her to get up and walk and they asked her to take 20 steps and we were just all pulling for her. it was really an answer to prayer that she would surpass what any of our expectations were. and we walked down the hall and then she said 30. and we're going, well, what does that mean?

30 steps. that just kind of defines lauren. she's so courageous. so we were just grateful for that moment. >> brittany, as twins, we always hear stories about twins and how you have this bond that's indescribable to those that are singletons. but it's really fascinating to me. you lost your left eye, lauren. your left eye was actually twitching for how long after? >> it was actually the period of time where we hadn't decided whether she was actually going to have her eye removed, so it was about two weeks that we had to make that decision. it was for about two weeks. really until her eye surgery that it was twitching about every 20 seconds during the day. >> did you two talk about that at the time or did you wait to tell her until after? >> no, i didn't talk to her about it at the time. it was early on in the hospital, so she wasn't quite with it. i don't know that she would have understood what was going on. it was definitely something we all discussed. >> she called me and said mom, you're not going to believe this, but my left eye is

twitching every 20 seconds. and it won't stop. and it did that for about two weeks. >> that is really wild. you've been really friendly with bethany hamilton. she wrote the forward to your book. how important has that friendship been for you having someone to relate to? >> it's a blessing because she's someone that's around my age and we can relate in that way and i can ask her, bethany, how do you do this with only one arm? she just prays with me a lot and we just encourage each other emotionally, so it's been a wonderful friendship, and i'm so grateful that she reached out to me. >> and she taught you to do your hair with one hand, i understand. which is a big thing for any woman. what an important step that is for you. really a pleasure to have you all here. keep us posted, because we know great things are ahead. >> thank you. once again, the name of the book is "still lolo." up next, thanksgiving just

five days away, which means it is time to head into the kitchen. but first, these messages. cbo. cheddar... bacon...onion. yeah it's a... it's threemendous. [ male announcer ] say hello to mcdonald's new cbo. smooth cheddar, crispy bacon, grilled onions on the angus third pounder or premium chicken sandwiches. the simple joy of... threemendous. [ female announcer ] nature valley granola bars, rich dark chocolate, toasted oats. perfect combinations of nature's delicious ingredients, from nature valley. ♪

nature valley granola bars, nature at its most delicious. this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, we're getting ready for thanksgiving. the turkey is often the main event, but there's no reason your side dishes can't be the star. >> sandra lee is here with some fast family favorites that will easily fit into any holiday meal. she's out with two new shows on the food network and the cooking

channel as well as the premiere issue of "sandra lee the magazine." nice to have you here. >> hello. here's a cocktail. >> i love this. >> this is a new kind. >> this looks like a dessert. it's gorgeous. >> let's find out how this is all made. >> we're going to do this family style. i'm going to make a dish with every single one of you. we all know lester loves a good cocktail. actually, that one's mine. >> oh, sorry. that is insanely rich-looking. >> you, by the way, are premiering two new flavors on the market. so first thing, in your shaker, you have ice. you'll put some espresso in there. so put that in there. that will keep you up all day long. now, these are the two new vodkas on the market, which i love. this is the iced cake. so put that in there. i know you like to free pour. >> just a little splash. >> and this is the caramel. this kiss caramel, this is a

kissing caramel cocktail. >> that's kcaramel flavored vodka. >> put your i think finger in t. not the whole finger. >> he follows instructions well. >> now, put the top on. shake it carefully. and pour that in here. smell this. that's insane. >> oh, my gosh. that does smell good. >> add a bow and it's a gift, right? >> if you hadn't opened it, i would have taken it and given it to someone. >> and then we put it in -- >> the reason why you have a strainer, we're going to do -- >> oh, i messed it up. >> that's okay. i'm going to take care of you. >> i don't actually make them. >> you're going to make this. your favorite new cocktail. >> this is really tasty. >> a little bit of -- a dollop of whipped topping.

you've been talking about caramel sauce all morning. >> check that out. >> this is better than a twinkie. >> and that's coming next. >> there you go. >> i have to try this. >> i have to say it's not as sweet as i thought it would be, which i really like. >> it's not super sweet, but it's good. >> so you make the corn bread ahead of time. >> or buy it, crumble it, let it air out. so it's nice and crusty. when you have a liquid, you don't want it to be mush. in here, you'll put celery. green onions. this is campbell's -- >> it's a soup. >> no, chicken with rice soup. >> really? it's not too much liquid? >> no. this is going to be poultry seasoning. mix, mix, mix. into the pan or into the turkey. if it's in the turkey go to the deepest part, the thigh, and check it. it should read around -- in the stuffing, around 160 and the

thigh should be around 170. >> even if you do it outside, it will be moist enough. >> you can do it outside. that's what gravy is for. >> we're not trying the stuffing? >> in here is some brown butter. a couple tablespoons. you'll put in pecans. >> into the butter? >> yeah, into the butter. then maple syrup. >> calorie-free and the whole thing, right? >> it's low-fat. everything is. give it a whiz. >> this incredible vodka? >> actually, it would cook out, right? >> it would. >> that looks amazing. >> two spoons, toss. now, those are roasted sweet potatoes in the oven about 30 minutes in a pan. >> once they're done you do all of this. >> exactly. >> now, here you are going to get the brussels sprouts. this is a little bit of just --

well, i made some bacon. >> i saw that. >> then some onions in here. you're going to pour that over the brussels sprouts. >> you've got the onions and the bacon. the bacon juices. >> pour that over. you're going to naught in the ov -- put that in the oven. we're talking about 20 minutes. you want to take it out about five minutes before it's done. put on some honey and apple cider vinegar because you'll get a sweet and sour flavor. >> is that what helps to crisp it up? >> it does add some sweetness. they'll already been brown. >> you guys want to give this a shot? here's forks over here. >> before we finish this off, we have to put the bacon on top of that. >> of course. >> that's the most important part. >> i hope you like bacon. >> what a way to get people to eat brussels sprouts. cover it with bacon and onions. i've heard our executive produce ser a b-- producer is a fan of

brussels sprouts and bacon. >> it doesn't hurt that you put bacon and caramel and apple cider on it. you can put that on just about anything. >> caramel vodka. >> throw it in and you're good to go. >> i have a feeling lester is taking that home. >> sandra, awesome. have a happy holiday. our weekend rewind looks back at some of the weekend's funniest clips. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" weekly rewind, we're looking back at some of the week's most clicked on, talked about and hilarious web findings. jenna is here with some stories you may have missed. >> some for very good reasons. of these super serious stories

out there, we're going to veer way off course for a few minutes to chat all things interesting. first up, the word gift. do you know it? it should. it's oxford dictionary's word of the year. gif is an acronym for a compressed file. like this one of us. this is a gif. whatever you were doing, it's a gif. >> is it gif? >> no, that's peanut butter. >> they come in chocolate flavors, too, by the way. >> gluten-free. >> probably. >> other words on the short list this year included yolo, as you only live once. nomo-phobia caused by being without one's mobile phone. left off the list this year was you are getting too old for these phones.

>> nomo-phobia? >> it's called obvious. i don't have my iphone. we've all been there before. one too many drinks and an escalator. am i right? you get where i'm going with this. this guy is like i'm drunk, but nobody can tell. i'm just going to walk down these steps here. i should be totally fine. he tries and he tries. but in the battle of man versus escalator, escalator wins. hilarious. >> he is really not giving up. it's amazing. >> he has to get downstairs. he doesn't understand the problem. >> she finally gave up on him. >> and that's the reason why you have to drink responsibly. >> he's thinking when i drink, time stands still. that's because you're not going anywhere. >> drink, fine, but take the real steps. and then couples who switch outfits and get photographed. why? not important. just go with it. it's called switcharoo.

the man wears the wife's outfit. >> i don't like where this is going to go. >> i think we did a switcharoo on the today show. didn't we? >> i knew i wouldn't like where this is going. >> that is actually hilarious but awful at the same time. >> does it make my hips look big? >> i want to see you in heels and how does that work. >> he would lift up that hem line a little bit so we could see your footwear. >> i knew i didn't like where that was going. >> you're quite a woman, lester. >> yes, thank you very much. >> what happens when you mix popcorn, caramel and red bull? the end result is cracker jacked. it's a new snack heading to store shelves near you. it contains 70 my gra 0 milligr caffeine. also, it makes baseball games a heck of a lot more fun when you're cracker jacked. >> absolutely not. that is so unacceptable. i'm sorry. and i'm liberal, you know that. i'll go for pretty much anything as long as it makes you happy

that. is out. >> you would think sugar is enough to jack you up. but they're adding more caffeine it to. >> it's like a drug as far as i'm concerned. have you ever drank that stuff? >> i did once. they scraped me off the ceiling about six hours later. >> sandra, you've got to be part of this more often. outspoken. >> i like it. >> we'll be right back. but first, these messages. medicare open enrollment. time to compare plans and costs. you don't have to make changes. but it never hurts to see if you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. ♪ open enrollment ends december 7th. so now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare. faster than mandy can hang up on mr. monday. you hang up first. [ female announcer ] in just 60 seconds, you've got

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best foods and holiday leftovers become irresistibly creamy turkey casserole. real delicious best foods. bring out the best foods. bring out the best. that's going to do it for us on this saturday morning. tomorrow on "today," i'm very excited about this, jenna is joining matthew broderick on broadway. >> on purpose. >> sandra, thank you for sticking around with us. >> thank you for having me. >> happy thanksgiving. we'll see you later on. everybody have a great day.

a police officer is injured in a violent night in san jose. as he recovers, the department serpents for a suspect. a sheriff's deputy accused of robbing a bank and it's caught on camera. a man is behind bars for allegedly planning a copycat movie theater shooting at the screening of the new twilight movie. today in the bay starts in two minutes.

. good morning. looking live from along the embarcadero and the rocket ship getting rained on this morning. how long will it last? very good question. thanks for joining us. i'm kris sanchez with rob. the bay area is on stormwatch right now and it was a stormy night across most of the bay area. more rain is headed our way. wet roadways are blamed for multiple accidents on the freeways. this one on one 01 north of petaluma. a chp cruiser rolled into a dirt embankment. the officer w